For many decades, a simple cake sprinkled with pieces of roasted peanuts has not disappeared from the windows of pastry shops. It has nothing special in design, it consists of an ordinary biscuit and butter-based cream, but for some reason does not lose its popularity against the backdrop of modern masterpieces of confectionery art. What is the magic of this cake, which attracts its fans and admirers to itself?
Cake of all time
Cake "Gift" according to GOST from the USSR has long become one of its symbols: concise, accessible to everyone and at the same time very tasty. Unlike the usual round shape, it was baked square or rectangular, generously sprinkled with roasted peanuts: it is because of these nuts that many “children of the Soviet Union” associate this cake with childhood.
At the same time, those over 45 say that the current cake is not at all to their taste, although it has the same appearance. I wonder if the recipe has not changed, why did the taste of the finished product change? Is it really the fault of the quality of the original ingredients. To find out, it is best to cook this dessert at home: this article describes in detail and step by step the recipe from the photo of the Gift cake in accordance with GOST. At home, it is easy to cook this dessert, having such detailed instructions, and from personal experience to make sure that it tastes right.
Ingredients
For the preparation of the “Gift” cake in accordance with GOST, ordinary biscuit cakes are used, which are prepared from beaten eggs (in the cold way). To bake a biscuit with a side of about twenty-five centimeters, you must use the following products:
- 180 grams of flour and granulated sugar;
- six eggs;
- 1/2 tsp vanillin.
Before kneading the dough, it is recommended to sift the flour through a sieve at least twice so that it is well enriched with oxygen. The original biscuit does not contain baking soda or other types of baking powder for the dough, so for lush cake you need to create all the favorable conditions: sift the flour and beat eggs well. If a cake of such sizes seems too large, then you can reduce the recipe by half or cook according to a smaller scheme:
- four eggs;
- 120 grams of granulated sugar and as much wheat flour.
Kneading dough
In the “Gift” cake, according to GOST (photo of cakes, see below), the dough for the biscuit base is prepared in the cold way, that is, from chilled eggs, which should be divided into proteins and yolks. First take up the proteins: at a low mixer speed, start whipping the proteins to the first foam, then add sugar (half the norm) to the mass with a tablespoon, continuing to whisk.
When all the sugar has been added, increase the speed of the mixer and continue whisking until a stable foam, when the groove held in the center of mass with a spoon will not change its position. Next, in another bowl, mix the remaining sugar and yolk and beat until the mass turns white, gaining incredible splendor. At the end add vanilla to it. Carefully, only with a spoon (by no means a mixer), combine both masses, mixing the protein mixture into the yolks with movements from the bottom up, and then add the flour, trying to quickly mix the dough so that it does not begin to settle.
Baking Tips
Cover the bottom of the biscuit mold with parchment, grease the walls with oil and sprinkle generously with flour. Pour dough into it: it should occupy no more than 1/2 of the total volume, since when baking, the biscuit usually rises strongly, increasing in height. If this does not happen, then the technology for preparing the “Gift” cake according to GOST has been violated. If in violation of the tradition it is not a square but a round shape that is used, then it is better to use a detachable one - it will be much easier to remove the finished cake without damaging it. A biscuit is baked in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees for at least forty minutes, while it is important not to open the door earlier than this time, as tender dough can settle and the cake will be ruined. After the right time has passed, open the oven door and pierce the biscuit with a wooden stick to the bottom, draw it with your fingers. If dry, the cake is ready. Turn off the oven, after ten minutes open the door, and after another ten - remove the form. Allow the biscuit to cool, then carefully remove the pan.
What is needed for cream?
To lubricate the biscuit cakes, a special cream is used - charlotte, which, in combination with nuts, creates the unique taste of this cake. The recipe without fail emphasizes that other types of cream are not used, otherwise it will be a completely different cake and should not be called by this name. In order to prepare Charlotte cream, you need to take:
- 120 ml of fresh milk;
- two eggs;
- 230 grams of butter (natural);
- 180 grams of granulated sugar;
- 1.5 tbsp. l cognac.
How to make Charlotte Cream
The preparation of the cream according to GOST for the “Gift” cake begins with whipping the slightly softened butter: it should not be melted, but simply have a soft texture, which is easy to obtain, leaving the butter at room temperature for an hour or two. Beat it with a mixer at medium speed until splendid. In a small saucepan, mix milk, sugar and eggs, with a fork, slightly beat the mixture until evenly mixed.
Put on a small fire and, stirring, bring to a boil. There is no need to be afraid that egg white will curl up - there is too much sugar in the mass, which will prevent it from doing this. Boil for about three minutes - the cream will thicken, so you need to stir it constantly so as not to burn. Remove from heat and cool, sometimes stirring, the mass will become more dense when completely cooled. Using a mixer at low speeds, add whipped oil (one tablespoon each) to the cooled syrup, each time thoroughly mixing the cream. At the very end, add cognac for flavoring. Charlotte cream is very light, airy and incredibly tasty, despite the oily structure.
Impregnation Syrup
In the standard recipe according to GOST, the “Gift” cake is not only smeared with cream, but also soaked in sugar syrup, because the biscuit itself is quite dry, and the butter cream is not able to deeply soak it. A syrup is prepared from the following ingredients:
- 160 ml of water;
- 130-150 grams of granulated sugar;
- 1.5 tbsp. l cognac and rum (if not, then brandy is used in a double dose).
Mix sugar and water, heat until sugar grains dissolve, remove from the stove and add alcohol. Allow it to cool completely.
How to soak a biscuit?
Syrup for impregnation of biscuit cakes should be cooled to room temperature. The pre-baked biscuit for the “Gift” cake according to GOST, after baking, must lie on the wire rack for at least twelve hours to get to the desired condition of taste and crumb, therefore it is very convenient to bake it in the evening and the next day to do the decoration.
The first step is to cut the cake into two halves along. Given that it is very soft and with a knife it is exactly very difficult to do, the confectioners began to use nylon thread for this, and later special electric knives. Each half of the biscuit must be evenly sprinkled with syrup for impregnation using a regular spoon and left for half an hour. Next, you can start collecting the cake together.
How to cut a biscuit with a thread?
To begin with, with a sharp knife, outline a cut along the perimeter of the cake, measuring out an equal amount from above and below, sticking toothpicks into it for reference. The thickness of the incision should be about 1-2 centimeters. Thread the cake so that it enters the cut evenly on all sides. Cross the ends, directing them towards you, and not to the sides, and begin to gradually tighten, without making sudden movements.
It is important to keep the thread line parallel to the top of the biscuit so that the cut goes evenly. When the thread is extremely tightened, direct it to yourself, pull it out and then use a wide knife or spatula to spread the biscuit base into the finished two halves, prying them under the center of the cake. If there is no kapron thread, then you can use nylon or ordinary fishing line for this purpose.
Cake molding and decoration
Divide the prepared Charlotte cream into three equal parts: grease the cake layers with impregnation over two, put them on top of each other, forming the classic look of the “Gift Cake” according to GOST: it should have two cake layers smeared with cream. Some dishonest cooks sometimes make three or even four cakes, motivating them to do more, but this is considered a violation of the correct recipe. Press the cake a little on top, so that the cream appears slightly along the seam, then coat the top and sides of the product with the rest of the cream, smoothing it with a knife to smoothness. It should be noted separately that the traditional “Gift” cake according to GOST does not have the following details in its design:
- cream roses, leaves, curls and other cream decor options;
- caramel or sugar balls, marzipan animal figures, etc., as well as chocolate antennae;
- chocolate icing. Cocoa is not at all in the standard recipe. If chocolate is mentioned in the preparation of a biscuit or cream, this is not a recipe according to GOST, but a free improvisation on the theme of the Enchantress cake.
In the photo, “Gift Cake” looks completely inconspicuous: its top and sides are sprinkled with halves of roasted peanuts (230 grams), sometimes it is crushed a little by placing it in a simple paper bag, on which you need to walk with a rolling pin several times. When the nuts completely cover the cake from the outside, additionally sprinkle it with icing sugar (2-3 tbsp). Nothing more should be used if you want to follow the GOST. The finished product should be a little infused, so for three to four hours you need to leave it in a cool place.
GOST authorities
Many novice cooks and inexperienced young mothers are scared of this incomprehensible abbreviation, not knowing exactly what is hidden behind it, so recipes marked "according to GOST" are immediately eliminated and are never used in the process of compiling the menu. In fact, GOST is abbreviated as “state standard”, product quality control and no more. This does not mean that such recipes are difficult to prepare or have hard-to-reach ingredients. On the contrary, they tried to compose them so that the preparation of such recipes was available to a wide mass of people.
This is repeatedly mentioned by an authoritative specialist in such recipes, a culinary blogger with the nickname Chadeika, in the world - Irina Chadeeva. According to Chadeika, the recipe for a gift cake according to GOST is elementary, therefore, to refuse such a tasty treat just because of a far-fetched fear of a complicated recipe is silly.